AFCON 2025: Heartbreak for Ugandans as 10-Man Cranes Crash Out After Painful Loss to Nigeria

Uganda's AFCON 2025 campaign ended in heartbreak following a 3-1 defeat to Nigeria, while a resilient Tanzania side advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time in their history.

The Uganda Cranes entered their final group stage match on Tuesday needing a victory to have any hope of progressing after a loss to Tunisia and a draw with Tanzania in their opening fixtures. However, their hopes were quickly dashed in a dramatic and challenging encounter.

Nigeria took the lead after 28 minutes when Paul Onuachu converted a cutback from Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, who had skillfully bypassed goalkeeper Denis Onyango. Onyango, who had picked up an ankle injury just moments before the goal, bravely played on until halftime.

The situation worsened for Uganda after the break. Salim Magoola, who replaced the injured Onyango, was sent off just 11 minutes into the second half. The substitute keeper was shown a straight red card for handling the ball outside his penalty area while trying to stop a charging Victor Osimhen on a Nigerian counter-attack.

Forced to sacrifice midfielder Baba Alhassan, coach Paul Put brought on third-choice goalkeeper Nafian Alionzi. His first action was to pick the ball out of his net, as Raphael Onyedika doubled Nigeria's lead in the 62nd minute, finishing off a slick team move initiated by Samuel Chukwueze.

Just five minutes later, the same pair combined again, with Onyedika bagging his second of the match to make it 3-0. Uganda managed a late consolation goal when Rogers Mato scored from an Allan Okello pass with 15 minutes remaining, but it was not enough to prevent their elimination. The Cranes finished bottom of Group C with a single point.

In the group's other fixture, Tanzania secured a historic place in the knockout stages by holding Tunisia to a 1-1 draw. The Taifa Stars fell behind to an Ismael Gharbi penalty late in the first half but responded just three minutes after the restart through a Feisal Salum equaliser.

Tanzania held on for the crucial point, which saw them advance as one of the best third-placed teams, edging out Angola on goals scored. Nigeria topped the group with a perfect record, while Tunisia finished second.

Having never previously advanced beyond the group stage, Tanzania's reward for their historic achievement is a formidable Round of 16 clash against tournament hosts and favorites, Morocco.